Musical-instrument-string retoner



L. L. ALNUTT.

MUSICAL lNSTRUMENT STRING RETONER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.28, I918.

1,353,135. 7 PatentedSept. 21,1920. Y

LL. ALJNLFi T UNITED STATES" LAWRENCE L. ALNUT'I, or cnA'rTAnooeA, TENNESSEE.

MUSICAIgINS'IRUMENT-STRING RETONER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept- Application filed December 28, 1918. Serial life. 263,625.

To to 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, LAWRENC L. ALN TT,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of'I-Iamilton, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical- Instrument-String Retoners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in tools and particularly to tools used in connection with piano tuning and repairing.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved tool by means of which the strings of large musical instruments, such as pianos, harps, or the like, where metal strings are used, can be treated to restore their lost tone and prevent their wrapping from rattling.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved tool by means of which the rust can be removed from the strings while in the instrument or when removed therefrom, thus restoring the flexibility and tone to the strings.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved retoning and cleaning tool.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

It is well known, among makers and repairers as well as tuners of pianos and like stringed instruments, that the wrapped strings become rusted, due to exposure to moisture, and thus lose their flexibility and tone. Various methods have been employed to clean this rust from the strings, but this requires considerable time, labor, and expense, with the necessity of removing the strings from the instrument. By means of the present device this is overcome, and the cleaning of the strings and restoration of the tone thereto are readily accomplished without removing the strings from the instrument. Furthermore, the tool is of such size and construction that it may be easily carried with the tuners kit of tools.

tool.

Referring particularlyto the accompanying drawing 10 represents an elognated metal bar the intermediate portion ofwhich is straight, while the end portions are dropped a little as shown at1l, and on the outer ends of said portions are mounted upstanding handles or knobs'12, which are to be grasped by the operator when using the portion of the bar is a depending plate 13, the same being secured in rigid position so that it will not become displaced or bent. Pivoted on pins in one face of this plate, directly beneath the straight portion of the bar 10, and at the lower corners of said plate, are the horizontally alined grooved rollers 14. Pivotally mounted on the same face of the plate 13, and near one end of the upper portion thereof, is an arm 15, and rotatably supported on the free end of this arm is a grooved roller 16, said roller being arranged to move toward and away from the space between the rollers 14. Threaded through the intermediate portion of the bar 10 is a screw 17, the upper end being provided with a thumb and finger piece 18, while the lower end, which projects beyond the lower face of the bar 10, engages with the upper face of the arm 15. Thus, when the screw is turned down the arm will be moved downwardly so as to press its roller 16 against the portion of the string 19 which lies between the rollers 14, over which said string is engaged.

In using the instrument or tool, the screw is first loosened sufliciently to permit the rollers 14 to engage with one side of the string, while the roller 16 is disposed to engage with the other side of the string. The screw is then turned to move the arm 15 and the roller 16 so as to press against the portion of the string between the rollers- 14, and thus form a bend or kink in the string at this point. The handles. are then grasped and the tool moved lengthwise of the string. This will cause the rollers to scrape off the greater portion of the surface rust, but will not scrape off the rust in the convolutions of the wrapping. The bend or kink between the rollers 14 will, however, be formed at every point along the length of the string, thus producing awave which moves from one end of the string to the other. The result of this formation of the moving wave will be to crack the rust in the convolutions of the wrapping, which will Secured to one side of the straight fall from the string. thereby restored to its normal flexibility, and the tone, which is naturally inherent therein, will be again present in the string.

By means of the screw, the roller 16 can be pressed with the desired degree of tightness against the string, whereby the wave will be shallow or deep, according to the condition of the string and the amount and hardness of the rust thereon and in the convolutions of the Wrapping.

While the device is especially adapted for cleaning the strings without removing them from the instrument, it will readily be understood that the device can be as effectively used when the strings are removed from the instrument and supported by other means.

The string will be What is claimed is: l

A retoning tool for piano Wires and the 20 like, the same comprising a horizontal bar having upstandin handles at its ends, a plate depending 30m the bar, apair of spaced rollers mounted on pins projecting laterally from said plate, a single roller 25 In testimony whereof, I affix'my signature 30 in the presence of two witnesses. V

LAWVRENCE L ALNUTT.

Witnesses: I

SAML SPENCER, WM. J. SMITH. 

